Transgender actresses Kitana Kiki
Rodriguez and Mya Taylor have been nominated for Independent Spirit
Awards for their performances in Tangerine,
making them the first transgender actresses to be nominated for such
an honor.

Tangerine
was one of the most talked about films at the 2015 Sundance Film
Festival and received universally positive reviews. It was purchased
by Magnolia Pictures, which distributed the film in a limited release
on July 10.

In the film, working girls Sin-Dee
Rella (played by Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Taylor) spend a Christmas
Eve in Hollywood searching for the pimp who broke Sin-Dee's heart
with a cisgender woman while she was locked up in prison.

Neither actress had major acting
experience prior to starring in Tangerine.